Disposable tissue sock and one-piece tissue paper blank for same



f Sept. 15, 1964 M. TIBBITTs 3,148,378

nIsPosABLE TISSUE socx AND ous-PIECE TISSUE PAPER BLANK FOR SAME Filed Dec. s1, 1962 ATTORNEYS- United States Patent O 3,148,378 DISPSABLE ThSUE SCK AND ONE-FREE TISSUE PAPER BLANK FR SAME Mary Tihhitts, Woodland, Calif., assigner to Douglas G. Tihbitts, Jr., Woodland, Caiif.

Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 248,768 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-239) This invention relates to a disposable tissue sock and relates more particularly to a sock formed from tissue paper material and having an elastic band to maintain the article in form fitting relationship to the foot of the wearer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a disposable tissue sock which is inexpensive to manufacture and comfortable to the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide an article of the type described which need not be washed and reused but which may be disposed of after one wearing.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a disposable sock of the type described which is always form fitting and does not wrinkle and show at the top of a ladys shoe as articles known heretofore have done after washing.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an article of manufacture which will function both as a sock and as an inner sole to protect both the shoe and the foot of the wearer.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a disposable sock which is easy to put on and remove and which is comfortable during wearing.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a one-piece blank of tissue paper of a unique shape, which can easily be formed into a sock by seaming certain edges of the blank, and which can then be maintained in form tting relationship to the foot of the wearer by securing a stretched elastic element to the remaining unseamed edges.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein there are disclosed preferred embodiments of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a pictorial representation of the article of the instant invention in use, with parts broken away for illustrative convenience and showing a portion of the leg of the wearer in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational View of the disposable tissue sock of the instant invention with parts broken away to show the interior thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial or perspective View looking downwards showing the component parts of the disposable tissue sock of the instant invention before manufacture and showing in dotted lines a preferred method of attaching the elastic band to the tissue portion of the sock.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the attachment of the elastic band to the tissue portion of the sock with the elastic in a stretched condition; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the attachment of the elastic band to the tissue portion of the disposable sock after the elastic band has returned to its normal unstretched condition.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in general and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the disposable tissue sock of ICC the instant invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 19. The tissue sock 1G is comprised of a foot-encasing tissue portion 12 having a toe end 14 and a heel end 16 and an elastic band 1S secured to the tissue portion 12 by thread or the like 26.

As will be seen in FIGURE 4, the tissue portion 12 is formed as a single pattern generally of vertical block-V periphery. The legs of the V are shaped as similar oblongs whose lengths extend slantingly downward and whose widths are generally perpendicular to the lengths. An inverted V-shaped notch 22 is formed with two edges 21 and 23 adjacent the bottom of the V. This inverted V is at the toe end 14. A U-shaped top 24 which is longer in length than the unstretched elastic band 13 but shorter in length than the stretched elastic band is shown in dotted lines at 18. The curve of the U is formed by an arcuate apex of the inner or central edges of the oblongs, which arc merges smoothly with adjacent bounding edges.

The preferred mode of manufacturing the tissue sock of the instant invention is to attach one end 26 of the unstretched elastic band 18 to one end 2S of the U-shaped top 24 of the tissue portion 12 and then to secure the remainder of the elastic band 18 to the remainder of the U-shaped top 24 of the tissue portion 12 by stretching the band as at 1S and stitching it with thread such as 20. It is obvious that the center 25 of the unstretched elastic band 18 may be first secured to the center 2'7 of the U-shaped top 24 and the stretched ends of the elastic band 1S can then be stitched to the remainder of the U-shaped top 24.

The relationship of the tissue portion 12 and thread 20 to the stretched elastic band 1S is shown in FIGURE 5 and the relationship of these elements when the elastic band is returned to its normal unstretched condition is shown in FIGURE 6. It will be seen that the U-shaped top 24 puckers as at 29 for close t with the foot of the wearer.

The rest of the tissue paper is stitched together by thread or the like, such as shown at 30, closing the two legs 21 and 23 of the V-shaped notch 22 in overlapping relationship to form the toe end 14 of the tissue sock 12 and stitching the sides 32 of the pattern shown in FIG- URE 4 to form the bottom seam 34 of the sock 10 and the ends 36 of the pattern shown in FIGURE 4 to form the heel end 16 of the tissue sock It?. Provision is made for overlap of all of these sewn portions such as shown by the dotted lines 33 of FIGURE 4.

The completed article will be Worn in the manner shown in FIGURE 1 by slipping the foot 40 of the wearer into the toe end 14 of the tissue sock I@ and stretching the elastic band 18 to allow the heel end I6 of the tissue sock 1G to be easily slid over the heel of the foot 40.

It is to be understood that the tissue portion 12 of the tissue sock I@ of the instant invention will be formed of a conventional tissue material which will be soft and absorbent and which will take up any perspiration and retain the same to provide a more comfortable and healthy atmosphere in the shoe. The elastic band 1S can be an elastic thread or a rubber band.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the manufacture of these articles is so inexpensive as to render them readily disposable. A plurality of these tissue sock may be packed for sale with the user discarding one pair and putting on a new pair each time the shoes are removed.

This article may be slipped on in a shoe store to protect the shoe and to maintain the user free from infection.

It may also be used in chiropodists o'ice or in a beauty salon to protect the foot after an examination or a pedicure.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided a onepiece tissue blank and disposable tissue sock which satisfies the objects of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept and since many modifications may be made or" the embodiments herein shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A one-piece blank of tissue paper for a sock, peripherally outlined generally as a block-V symmetrical about a vertical axis,

and more particular outlined by a pair of similar generally oblong legs having inner edges, outer edges and end edges,

a major dimension of each oblong extending slantingly from top to bottom of the block-V and approximating the usable heel to toe dimension of a sock to be formed by the blank,

a minor dimension of each oblong extending substantially perpendicular to said major dimension and approximating the usuable top to mid-bottom dimension of a sock to be formed by the blank,

an inverted V notch at the bottom and toe end of the blank,

Vthe lower portions of said inner edges being joined by an arcuate apex merging smoothly into said inner edge portions,

the vertex of the inverted V notch being spaced from the arcuate apex.

2. As an article of manufacture a disposable sock made from a one-piece blank of tissue paper peripherally outlined generally as a block-V symmetrical about a vertical axis,

and more particularly outlined by a pair of similar generally oblong legs having inner edges, outer edges, and end edges,

a length dimension of each oblong extending slantingly from top to bottom of the block V and bounded at its top by a heel portion of the sock and bounded at its bottom by a toe portion of the sock,

a width dimension of each oblong extending substantially perpendicular to said length dimensionY and approximating the top to mid bottom dimension of the sock,

an inverted V notch at the bottom and toe end of the blank,

the lower portions of said inner edges being joined by an arcuate apex merging smoothly into said inner edge portions,

the vertex of the inverted V notch being spaced from the arcuate apex of the blank,

seams formed by joining together said end edges to form a heel seam, said outer edges to form a bottom seam, and the edges of said notch to form a toe seam thus forminga continuous top edge delineating an opening ofthe sock.

3. The sock of claim 2 wherein an elastic element is secured when stretched throughout the complete extent of said continuous edge of the top opening to cause the tissue paper adjacent said top edge to pucker when said elastic element is in an unstretched condition.

4. The sock of claim 3 wherein said elastic element is secured to said continuous edge by sewing with thread.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,038,844 Dorf Apr. 28, 1936 2,333,373 Grey Nov. 2, 1943 2,627,126 France Feb. 3, 1953 2,628,438 Luchs Feb. 17, 1953 2,952,926 Laven Sept. 20, 1969 

2. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE A DISPOSABLE SOCK MADE FROM A ONE-PIECE BLANK OF TISSUE PAPER PERIPHERALLY OUTLINED GENERALLY AS A BLOCK-V SYMMETRICAL ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY OUTLINED BY A PAIR OF SIMILAR GENERALLY OBLONG LEGS HAVING INNER EDGES, OUTER EDGES, AND END EDGES, A LENGTH DIMENSION OF EACH OBLONG EXTENDING SLANTINGLY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE BLOCK V AND BOUNDED AT ITS TOP BY A HEEL PORTION OF THE SOCK AND BOUNDED AT ITS BOTTOM BY A TOE PORTION OF THE SOCK, A WIDTH DIMENSION OF EACH OBLONG EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID LENGTH DIMENSION ADN APPROXIMATING THE TOP TO MID BOTTOM DIMENSION OF THE SOCK, AN INVERTED V NOTCH AT THE BOTTOM AND TOE END OF THE BLANK, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID INNER EDGES BEING JOINED BY AN ARCUATE APEX MERGING SMOOTHLY INTO SAID INNER EDGE PORTIONS, THE VERTEX OF THE INVERTED V NOTCH BEING SPACED FROM THE ARCUATE APEX OF THE BLANK, SEAMS FORMED BY JOINING TOGETHER SAID END EDGES TO FORM A HEEL SEAM, SAID OUTER EDGES TO FORM A BOTTOM SEAM, AND THE EDGES OF SAID NOTCH TO FORM A TOE SEAM THUS FORMING A CONTINUOUS TOP EDGE DELINEATING AN OPENING OF THE SOCK. 